


Solar Eclipse

by rlyehtaxidermist



Category: Touhou Project, 大神 | Okami (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Silent Protagonist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlyehtaxidermist/pseuds/rlyehtaxidermist
Summary: Amaterasu pays a visit to the Lunar Capital.





	Solar Eclipse

It was always rather unnecessary to say “it was an ordinary day in the Lunar Capital”. Variation and surprise were a potential source of impurity, and were frowned upon and avoided whenever possible. Even when individual citizens might have extraordinary days, very few of them ever proved to be anything but ordinary for the Capital at large. Kishin Sagume didn’t mind this much; she could easily avoid the people content to laze in pleasant tedium, and the ones who weren’t were what made her life interesting, be they allies or enemies.

She was halfway through reading her latest report, written by a diligent but not especially bright rabbit, when the door to her office slid open, and Yagokoro Eirin stalked into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Sagume gave her an inquiring look; there was something unusual about how she was carrying herself.

Lady Yagokoro walked at a measured pace over to the desk. “Kishin,” she said, then paused for a nigh-imperceptible moment to glance at the papers in Sagume’s hands. “You are wasting yourself with this; find a more capable secretary. I have need of you.” No sooner did she finish speaking than did Sagume stand up. It seems it would be an ally who was today’s object of interest.

Lord Tsukuyomi’s first minister had a reputation of being terse and unapproachable, which was entirely undeserved in Sagume’s eyes. She could fondly recall having far better conversations with Lady Yagokoro in total silence than nearly all of what she overheard from the rest of Lord Tsukuyomi’s court. She simply did not waste words; a trait Sagume could appreciate. Still, it was unusual of her to arrive so suddenly. Slowly raising an eyebrow, Sagume locked eyes with her.

“I have just been informed that Lady Amaterasu has decided to pay her brother a surprise visit.”

Sagume’s blood ran cold. She only knew the Queen of Heaven by reputation, and while she was confident she had nothing to fear directly from She Who Shines In The Heavens, it introduced a highly unknown variable into the Lunar Capital. Her August Majesty had made an uneasy peace with her brother, but the last thing Sagume needed was for that peace to fall apart; the cause for Lady Yagokoro’s urgency was now perfectly clear.

Considering this, Sagume nodded. Lady Yagokoro began walking, and Sagume followed closely behind her.

“We have two hours to organise and secure a procession from the gates of the Capital to the innermost part of the city, as well as supply all appropriate hospitality.” Lady Yagokoro paused. “I will require your discretion on this matter; I would rather not have the entirety of the lunar court descending upon Lady Amaterasu like gossiping locusts without taking proper precautions.”

Sagume quietly groaned, eliciting an amused glance from Lady Yagokoro. For all their talk of “higher society”, the court of Lord Tsukuyomi was just as inclined towards petty political manoeuvring as anywhere else; a visit from the Queen of Heaven herself would pull out everyone who thought they had something to gain, all into one place, vying for the same thing. In short: exactly the sort of situation that she worked so hard to avoid.

“I will personally see to the preparations at court. I trust your agents can be repurposed to secure the parade route?” Lady Yagokoro paused just long enough for Sagume to nod. “Finally, I will need you to meet Lady Amaterasu at the gates.”

Sagume froze in place, slowly moved to point at herself, and put an exaggeratedly incredulous look on her face.

“I can count on one hand the number of people who I trust to handle this with the delicacy and deference due to Lady Amaterasu, especially without advance preparation.” Lady Yagokoro held up four fingers, then quickly lowered two. “Of them, there are two who I trust to do so _intelligently_ , and Lord Tsukuyomi will require my personal presence at court.” Lady Yagokoro tapped lightly Sagume on the forehead; Sagume felt her cheeks flush, despite herself. “That leaves one candidate.” Lady Yagokoro almost-smiled at her, then drew a small box out of the sleeve of her robe. “Give her this. It’s some of her favourites.”

Sagume nodded, then bowed in farewell to Lady Yagokoro. She had much to attend to before the day was done.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Sagume paced nervously in front of the main entrance to the Lunar Capital. The frantic assembly of her finest agents to seize control over the parade route had gone over almost without mistake, save for a few arguments with indignant minor nobles that the rabbits were woefully incapable of dealing with. In the end, she persevered, and now she was just left awaiting the arrival of Amaterasu herself.

A loud creak echoed through the entrance hall, and Sagume sprinted to the centre of the hall, spinning on her heel to face the door and bowing as far as she could manage. The opening of the gates of the Lunar Capital was heralded by the sound of rushing air, and Sagume could see light beginning to pour in from the crack.

Cautiously, she raised her eyes.

Standing in the entryway was a solitary shape, but not a woman’s; a massive white wolf, its flowing white fur marked with ornate red patterns, each burning with power. A wreath of colourful flames hung in the air around it. Sagume swallowed nervously, but kept her face level, and cautiously reached for Lady Yagokoro’s box. She held it out in front of her with one hand and slowly opened it with the other, revealing… Sagume arched an eyebrow. A slice of cherry cake, and some sliced peaches?

She tilted the box to show it to the visitor.

And then Amaterasu-oomikami, Queen of Heaven and Goddess of the Sun, tackled Sagume to the ground with a hearty _wuff_.

**Author's Note:**

> Eirin's Lunarian title here is given simply as "first minister"; were I writing this in Japanese, I'd use "kampaku", the title used for essentially the chief advisor and/or regent for an emperor in Heian Japan (and often the _de facto_ ruler).
> 
> Sagume currently holds no formal court position or rank, serving instead as a spymaster of sorts; most of the actual nobility of the Lunar Capital don't think much of her.
> 
> This was going to be a oneshot but it'll probably have a few parts to break things up a bit better, as I think of things. I swear next thing will actually be updating an extant fic.


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